Jenni Harris is a fifth-generation farmer and the marketing director at White Oak Pastures, a pioneer in regenerative farming. She shares insights on transitioning from conventional to grass-fed practices and the importance of vertical integration for sustainable food systems. The discussion touches on the impacts of the COOL Act repeal on meat labeling, the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic about food security, and the evolving relationship with major retailers like Whole Foods. Join her in exploring the future of meat and local food resilience!
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Childhood on the Farm
Jenni Harris's earliest memories of White Oak Pastures involve spending time with her father, even as a young child.
Initially, the farm was conventional, but it transitioned to a grass-fed model when she was around 10.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Chemical Fertilizer Analogy
Will Harris famously compared using chemical fertilizer to "peeing in your pants to stay warm."
He believed it was a short-term solution with negative long-term consequences for the land.
insights INSIGHT
Will's Risk-Taking Nature
Will Harris, an only child raised by Depression-era parents, developed a risk-taking personality.
This contrasts with his parents' conservative approach, likely a reaction to their upbringing.
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Jenni Harris is a fifth-generation farmer at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia. She is an advocate for regenerative, grass-fed farming, animal welfare and environmental stewardship, and is the director of marketing at White Oak Pastures. Under the visionary leadership of Jenni's father, Will Harris, White Oak Pastures has transitioned from conventional farming practices to a thriving grass-fed, regenerative model. They have successfully vertically integrated their operations, establishing their own processing facilities and creating a closed-loop, transparent food system.
Key topics discussed include:
White Oak Pastures journey of transitioning from conventional to regenerative farming practices
Building a resilient, local food system through vertical integration and on-farm processing facilities
The impact of the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Act repeal on American farmers and the grass-fed beef market
Navigating partnerships with Whole Foods and Epic Provisions in the evolving sustainable food landscape
The importance of maintaining a balance between wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales for year-round production
Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic on the fragility of the modern food system and the value of food security
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro and White Oak Pastures' transition to grass-fed (04:00) Challenges of transitioning to regenerative farming (10:00) Importance of vertical integration and on-site processing (19:00) Rise of "regenerative" buzzword and decline in authentic farms (22:00) Impact of repealing COOL Act on American producers (28:00) Evolution and end of White Oak Pastures' Whole Foods relationship
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